Six Petaluma residents arrested in connection with an alleged marijuana and hashish trafficking operation have been released from the Marin County jail and will be tried in Sonoma County where most of the alleged offenses occurred. The six were arrested Friday by members of the Marin County Major Crimes Task Force after a traffic stop turned up 20 pounds of marijuana, prompting authorities to search five homes and an office in Petaluma. The suspects are Avery Badenhop, 46, and his wife Jerry Lee Bionda, 46; Radek Stastny, 38; Jeremy Jesse Kaltenbach, 39; Marc Elliot Herrnberger, 52; and Harry Parker, 45.They were being held in the Marin County jail until their release Tuesday.Task force members seized 62 pounds of processed marijuana, 420 marijuana plants, hashish, hashish oil, guns and more than $800,000 in cash during the weekend operation, which started with a traffic stop Friday morning. The California Highway Patrol pulled over Badenhop for speeding at about 9 a.m. Friday on eastbound Interstate Highway 580, said Marin County sheriff’s Sgt. Fred Marziano, who supervises the task force.CHP officers found 20 pounds of processed marijuana, 200 grams of hashish and 100 vials of hash oil in Badenhop’s Nissan, Marziano said. Badenhop, a tattoo artist, skydiver and stuntman, according to his Web site, was arrested during the traffic stop for possession of marijuana and hashish for sale, cultivation of marijuana and hashish, selling and transporting hashish and marijuana, possession of more than 28.5 grams of marijuana, possession of concentrated cannabis and possession of dangerous weapons, Marziano said.The CHP contacted the Marin County Major Crimes Task Force, which searched Badenhop’s home on Kingswood Court in Petaluma. Investigators found 32 pounds of processed marijuana, $750,000 in two safes, two handguns and information about other locations rented by Badenhop in Petaluma, Marziano said.Badenhop’s wife was arrested at the home on charges of marijuana
and hashish possession and cultivation.The task force then searched four other homes and Badenhop’s office in Petaluma, Marziano said. Narcotics investigators found 420 marijuana plants growing inside three of the homes, 8 ounces of hashish, cash, three handguns and more processed marijuana, Marziano said.Stastny, Kaltenbach, Herrnberger and Parker were arrested Friday night at two of the homes for marijuana and hashish cultivation, possession of marijuana and hashish for sale and conspiracy charges. Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Tashawn Sanders said the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office is still waiting for investigative reports from Marin County authorities.

Five Petaluma men and a woman, alleged to be members of a drug trafficking operation, were to be arraigned in Marin County Superior Court this afternoon on drug possession and cultivation and conspiracy charges.The Marin County Major Crimes Task Force said it recovered 62 pounds of processed marijuana, more than $800,000 in cash, guns, hashish oil, hashish and 420 marijuana plants during the weekend operation that started with a traffic stop Friday. Sgt. Fred Marziano said this afternoon the investigation is continuing and there may be more arrests.The investigation began when Avery Badenhop, 46, was stopped by the California Highway Patrol for speeding around 9 a.m. Friday on eastbound Interstate Highway 580, Marziano said.CHP officers found 20 pounds of processed marijuana, 200 grams of hashish and 100 vials of hash oil in Badenhop’s Nissan, Marziano said.
Badenhop, who according to his Web site is a tattoo artist, skydiver and stuntman, was arrested at the traffic stop, Marziano said.The CHP contacted the Marin County Major Crimes Task Force, which searched Badenhop’s home on Kingswood Court in Petaluma. Investigators found 32 pounds of processed marijuana, $750,000 in two safes, two handguns and information about other locations rented by Badenhop in Petaluma, Marziano said.Badenhop’s wife Jerri Lee Bionda, 46, was arrested at the residence on marijuana and hashish possession and cultivation and conspiracy charges.The task force then searched four residences and Badenhop’s office in Petaluma, Marziano said. Narcotics investigators found 420 marijuana plants growing inside three of the residences, eight ounces of hashish, cash, three handguns and more processed marijuana, Marziano said.Radek Stastny, 38; Jeremy Jesse Kaltenbach, 39; Marc Eliot Herrnberger, 52; and Harry Parker, 45, all of Petaluma were arrested Friday night at two of the residences for marijuana and hashish cultivation, possession of marijuana and hashish for sale and conspiracy charges. Badenhop was arrested for possession of marijuana and hashish for sale, cultivation of marijuana and hashish, selling and transporting hashish and marijuana, possession of more than 28.5 grams of marijuana, possession of concentrated cannabis and possession of dangerous weapons.All six alleged drug traffickers are being held in the Marin County jail under $2.5 million bail.